Belle the Sleeping Car
Encyclopedia
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's musical Starlight Express
Starlight Express
Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates...
. She is an old sleeping car, who once raced with Poppa
Poppa
Poppa is a character from the rock musical, Starlight Express. He's a steam engine like protagonist Rusty and is the oldest train of all. Control introduces him as "Ramblin' Poppa McCoy". He preaches of the Starlight Express, a god-like figure that will help those who call on him...
, and, like her former partner, has fallen on hard times in her age. She races with Rusty
Rusty the Steam Engine
Rusty is a fictional character from the musical Starlight Express. He is the protagonist of the musical. Rusty is a steam engine, relegated to the sidings, who dreams of winning the Championship Engine of the World races. He is roundly mocked for this ambition, as steam is old fashioned, and...
in heat 2, however they are beaten by Electra
Electra the Electric Train
Electra the Electric Engine is a fictional character from the rock musical Starlight Express.Electra is the newest train to enter the yard and, therefore, Control's newest toy. He comes with his own line of components that are loyal to him. He's rich, self-centered and sexy. His eyes are set on...
and Pearl
Pearl the Observation Car
Pearl is the "new girl" character and female lead in the West End musical Starlight Express. She is a railway observation carriage, although in Germany she is referred to as the "first class car"...
. Belle goes on to argue Rusty's right to replace Poppa (who won heat 3) and she comforts Dinah
Dinah the Dining Car
Dinah is the sweet, Southern and lovable dining car from Starlight Express. She is hopelessly in love with Greaseball and her best friend is Pearl the observation car. She races with Greaseball during the 1st Heat but when she complains about his cheating afterwards, he uncouples her and races...
and persuades her to fight back in "Rolling Stock (Reprise)".
Belle's role was minimised in the Broadway production, to her singing her solo then only reappearing for the finale. In all subsequent productions Belle was omitted from the show altogether, with the intent to streamline and shorten the productions.
Character
Belle is warm and motherly toward Rusty and the freight.She is not like the other coaches, but she is good friends with them and offers Dinah advice and comfort in "Rolling Stock (Reprise)". Belle is Poppa's coach from years back and according to some, (if the father-son theory about Poppa and Rusty is true) Rusty's mother. However this theory makes little sense as Rusty is introduced to Belle for the first time in "Belle's Song".
Inspiration
Belle is based loosely on Ella FitzgeraldElla Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, and similar blues divas. The name "Belle" in relation to railways is often used for luxury tourist services such as Brighton Belle
Brighton Belle
The Brighton Belle was a named train which ran on the Southern Railway from Victoria Station in London to Brighton, on the Sussex coast. The first electric all-Pullman service in the world, it ran from 29 June 1934 till 30 April 1972.-History:...
, a Pullman train (UK)
Pullman train (UK)
Pullman trains in Great Britain were mainline luxury railway services that operated with first-class coaches and a steward service, provided by the British Pullman Car Company.-Origins:...
. Many of the references in her song lyrics relate to this type of train, such as "A Pullman car when I was made/I went down for the seaside trade".
Songs
- Belle the Sleeping car - Solo -
- The Rap - some solo lines.
- Girl's Rolling stock - quartet, in which she sang the main vocal.
- Light At the End of the TunnelLight at the End of the Tunnel (musical number)Light at the End of the Tunnel is the gospel-style finale number from the musical Starlight Express. The Company perform the number as a glorification to Steam...
- some solo lines.
Belle's Song is a forgotten gem in Lloyd Webber's repertoire. Originally performed by P. P. Arnold
P. P. Arnold
P. P. Arnold is an American-born soul singer who enjoyed considerable success in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and beyond.-Early life:...
, it is a powerful blues-inspired ballad in which Belle tells Rusty about her life as a luxury Sleeper. It bears contextual similarities to the huge hit "Memory" from Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
, but without the suicidal undertones.
It was cut from the show with Belle but the melody is still heard within the orchestrations, sung by Rusty
Rusty the Steam Engine
Rusty is a fictional character from the musical Starlight Express. He is the protagonist of the musical. Rusty is a steam engine, relegated to the sidings, who dreams of winning the Championship Engine of the World races. He is roundly mocked for this ambition, as steam is old fashioned, and...
and Dustin
Dustin the Big Hopper
Dustin is the Big Hopper in the musical Starlight Express. He is a gentle, kind-hearted soul who is very shy and very sensitive, especially about his weight. His closest friend is Flat-Top but he is also close to Rusty and the rest of the freight yard residents - the Rockies and Poppa. When Poppa...
.
Costume
